“Caribou was the reason,and everything else happened after”: Effects of caribou declines on Inuit in Labrador,Canada

For many Indigenous Peoples in the Circumpolar North, cultural engagement and continuity across generations is directly related to relationships between and among people, animals, and landscapes. However, minimal research outlines the emotional responses and disruptions to culture and identity that are driven by ecological change, and the subsequent cultural dimensions of coping and adapting to this uncertainty. Through a case study that explores how caribou population declines and a caribou hunting ban are impacting Inuit in the Nunatsiavut and NunatuKavut regions of Labrador, Canada, this article examines the critical interplay between cultural continuity and adaptive capacity for responding to ecological uncertainty. More specifically, this study: 1) described the central role that caribou play for Inuit emotional wellness, identity, and cultural continuity; 2) explored how the rapid declines of caribou in Labrador are affecting Inuit emotional wellness, identity, and cultural continuity; and 3) characterized the ways in which Inuit are adapting to these emotio-social, cultural, and ecological changes. Drawing from an Inuit-led, multi-year, multi-media qualitative and visual media research program, data from video interviews (n = 84: Nunatsiavut region: n = 54; NunatuKavut region: n = 30) were analyzed using a video-based qualitative analysis, constant-comparative methods, and inductive qualitative approach. Results indicated that caribou are a foundational element for Inuit emotional wellness, identity, and cultural continuity. The changes in caribou populations are resulting in complex emotional responses, losses to cultural meaning and knowledge, and alterations to Inuit identities. The impacts on emotions, identity, and cultural continuity related to Inuit-caribou relations at an individual and collective level reflect the interconnections between cultural continuity and adaptive capacity that underlie the loss of this culturally important species. Though this research focuses on two Inuit groups and caribou in Labrador, the insights from these lived experiences highlight the ongoing cultural and identity consequences associated with species declines occurring globally.     

The meteorological observations of Bento Sanches Dorta, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 1781–1788

Bento Sanches Dorta was an astronomer and geographer in the Portuguese colony of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil from 1781 to 1788. He recorded daily readings of meteorological and geomagnetic variables during that period. This dataset provides, to the best of our knowledge, the earliest known continuous 8-year-long instrumental meteorological observations for any South American site. His data show that the winters in this period were relatively cool, and that 1785 was the rainiest and hottest year, and 1787 the driest and coolest. The records display a distinct seasonal cycle and a variability that are comparable with the modern data.     

The world’s earliest instrumental temperature records, from 1632 to 1648, claimed by G. Libri, are reality or myth?

In 1830, Libri announced the finding of a 16-year-long record of daily temperature observed in Florence, Italy, by Father Renieri before the activity of the Medici Network (1654 to 1670) that is usually considered the earliest instrumental series in the world. The Libri announcement was supported by the concurrent finding of a box with the early Little Florentine Thermometers that survived the Inquisition and was confirmed by Schouw, von Humboldt and Maxwell. However, all investigations made to find Renieri’s observations were fruitless. This paper clarifies this complex situation differentiating between myth and reality. A careful analysis of the Libri’s announcement in the historical context points out that Libri made the announcement while escaping for conspiracy from Florence and needed a scoop to be introduced in the French Academy of Sciences. For this reason he made a deliberate mix of new and old assertions, i.e. he claimed to have made new discoveries but without explaining too much and reporting misleading details about well known stories concerning the earliest meteorological observations. This induced people to suppose that further, earlier records existed. The consequence of this was that climatologists searched for years the claimed records. This paper shows that the Medici Network almost certainly contains the earliest exploitable instrumental observations. The possibility of finding a short series of observations prior to 1654 is remote.     

地面气象观测数据文件存在问题浅析

天气学原理的角度对2009至2010年全区上报的地面气象数据文件在人工观测和人工器测之记录方面存在的问题分析了云的生消演变过程和产生降水的物理机制、天气现象“飑”的成因和特征;进一步阐述了云与降水的关系：同时对影响蒸发量的气象要素作了相关分析,提出了疑误记录的处理方法。对提高云状和天气现象记录水平,正确处理异常观测记录...     

Is Canadian cloudiness increasing?

Abstract

Cloud amount records for the Canadian mid‐latitudes have been analysed in the context of a “warming world” analogue model that compares records of two 20‐year periods. The cloud amounts increase over practically all these regions while temperatures rise. This historical data set has also been extended temporally to permit analysis of high‐latitude cloudiness trends. These are of particular interest in the “fingerprinting” of CO₂‐induced climatic change. Station records from the Canadian Arctic show distinctive increases in total cloud amount in the last forty years especially in the summer season. This result, unlike the historical analogue analysis, seems to be decoupled from temperature changes.     

桂林一次强下击暴流成因分析

2019年3月21日广西桂林市临桂区发生一次极端大风天气过程(以下简称"3·21"临桂大风),当日21:13临桂观测站记录最大阵风风速为60.3 m·s-1(17级).通过风灾现场调查判断这是强度为EF2级的微下击暴流过程.应用常规观测资料以及加密自动气象站、探空、多普勒雷达等资料,分析了"3·21"临桂大风的环流背景...     

新型城镇化背景下基层气象部门为农服务对策研究

就当前新型城镇化进程中,基层气象部门如何做好为农服务进行分析和讨论,并着重从加强气象为农服务的组织体系建设,提升气象为农服务的特色、能力和水平,进一步增强农村气象灾害的防御能力,促进气象为农服务的保障机制建设等方面进行论述,提出了相应的对策及建议.将气象为农服务“两个体系”建设和“均等化”、“一体化”的公共气象服务与新型城镇化有机结合、共同推进,是基层气象部门当前及今后为农服务的重要任务.     

Rapid scale-up of negative emissions technologies: social barriers and social implications

We describe a new approach that allows for systematic causal attribution of weather and climate-related events, in near-real time. The method is designed so as to facilitate its implementation at meteorological centers by relying on data and methods that are routinely available when numerically forecasting the weather. We thus show that causal attribution can be obtained as a by-product of data assimilation procedures run on a daily basis to update numerical weather prediction (NWP) models with new atmospheric observations; hence, the proposed methodology can take advantage of the powerful computational and observational capacity of weather forecasting centers. We explain the theoretical rationale of this approach and sketch the most prominent features of a “data assimilation–based detection and attribution” (DADA) procedure. The proposal is illustrated in the context of the classical three-variable Lorenz model with additional forcing. The paper concludes by raising several theoretical and practical questions that need to be addressed to make the proposal operational within NWP centers.     

A snapshot of the Labrador current inferred from ice‐floe movement in NOAA satellite imagery

Abstract

Ice floes along the Labrador Coast were tracked using visible NOAA satellite images on two consecutive days (26 and 27 April, 1984) when the ice‐pack extended beyond the Labrador Current, and winds were weak. The resulting “snapshot” of the velocity field reveals strong topographic steering of the Labrador Current, such that the current speed and width in different areas are dependent on the steepness of the continental slope, and the current deflects into and out of Hopedale Saddle. Between 55 and 58°N, the main core of the current is 60–90 km wide, with speeds of 30–55 cm s^?1. The overall circulation pattern is in good agreement with historical water mass analyses over the shelf and slope, and with estimates of the speed of the Labrador Current obtained by other methods.     

Climatic fluctuations on the century time scale: A review of high-resolution proxy data and possible mechanisms

We review the century time scale climatic variability that is observed in high-resolution proxy data records covering the past 10 000 yr. Cyclic variations with time scales ranging from 50 to 400 yr occur in oxygen isotope ratios derived from ice cores, tree-ring index series, pollen records and sea-ice extents. Century time scale cycles can also be identified in some biological and historical records and in long-term instrumental observations. In order to appreciate the century scale cycles in the context of climatic variability in general, a brief survey of all climatic time scales is presented.The traditional interpretation that decadal-to-century scale fluctuations in the climate system are externally forced, e.g. by variations in solar properties, is questioned. A different mechanism for these fluctuations is proposed on the basis of recent findings of numerical models of the ocean's thermohaline circulation. The results indicate that this oceanic circulation exhibits natural variability on the century time scale which produces oscillations in the ocean-to-atmosphere heat flux. Although global in extent, these fluctuations are largest in the Atlantic Ocean.     

A necessary voice: Climate change and lived experiences of youth in Rigolet,Nunatsiavut, Canada

Globally, youth voices and their experiences, observations, and perceptions about climatic and environmental change and variability are relatively absent in the published literature to date. To address this gap, the goal of this research was to explore the observations and perceptions of climate change held by youth (12–25 years old) in the Inuit community of Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, Canada. Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted with youth in Rigolet to gather data about climatic and environmental changes young people have observed, and the subsequent impacts of these changes on their lives, culture, and community. Youth reported observing and experiencing climatic and environmental changes throughout their lives, with reported impacts falling within five main themes: changing travel conditions and access to hunting; challenges to Inuit culture; a concern for Elder and senior well-being; strong climate-related emotional responses; and youth-identified potential adaptation strategies. More broadly, this research demonstrated that young people have valuable knowledge and perspectives to offer. In particular, researchers, community leaders, and policy makers are encouraged to meaningfully engage youth as crucial stakeholders in future climate change work, research, dialogue, and policy.     

以新视角解析公众气象服务的用户需求差异

基于公众气象服务需求调查数据,从马斯洛需求层次理论和行为经济学信息易得性原理的角度出发,分析了公众气象服务用户需求差异问题。结果发现:1)用户的气象服务需求程度满足一定的"规律性",社会公众对气象信息的需求首先是受到生理需要的驱动,其次是受到保障内在安全的需要驱动,最后才是更高层次的需求。2)用户需求又存在"特殊性",在特定的背景下,用户需求与基本的需求规律有差异,也与气象部门认为的"理想需求"存在不一致的方面。详细地了解用户需求差异的"规律性"和"特殊性",能更好地开展公众气象服务需求调查和改进气象服务质量。     

Extreme wind speeds in the European sector of the Arctic

Variations in extreme wind speed over the European part of the Arctic are studied from the data of meteorological observations, reanalysis, and modeling based on the INM CM4 climate model. It is demonstrated that the extremes determined from the observational data are a mixture of two datasets well simulated by the Weibull distribution. According to the special metaphoric terminology, they are called “black swans” and “dragons.” The analysis of extreme wind speeds based on the reanalysis and INM CM4 data demonstrated that they consist of “black swans” only. This important fact indicates that the models (at least those with medium horizontal resolution) are not able to simulate some essential circulation mechanisms causing the formation of significant anomalies of wind speed. Hence, the problem of direct identification of wind speed extremes based on the atmospheric modeling remains open.     

The near‐surface circulation and exchange in the newfoundland grand banks region

Abstract

Analysis of 39 satellite‐tracked drifter records from the Newfoundland Grand Banks region has allowed maps of the mean and variable flows to be drawn. The variable currents are particularly large relative to the mean for the shelf, Flemish Cap and in the Newfoundland Basin. The ratio of the mean to variable flow is largest along the path of the Labrador Current. Drifters that either have been released on or migrate onto the Grand Banks remain therefor an average of 71 d. A statistical study of the effect of wind on drifter motion has shown that winds can only account for about 10% of current variability. This result is examined with consideration given to data noise, aliasing and non‐stationary conditions. Some drifters that were deployed in the Labrador Current moved onto the shelf and vice versa. These observations have been used to estimate the rate of exchange between the Current and the Grand Banks. Using this exchange rate in a box model, it is calculated that, over the iceberg season, 30% of the bergs will be in the Avalon Channel, 20% on the Grand Banks and 50% in the Labrador Current, in good agreement with the observed distribution. An alternative model based solely on advection is considered as well. The exchange model is also applied to the salinity budget for the Labrador Current with some success.     

Principles of monitoring of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and sinks

Principles and substantiation of a system of monitoring anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and sinks are considered. The basic task of the system is to estimate the anthropogenic contribution to the atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and possible climate effect. The major attention is paid to the system of indirect or “computational” monitoring of anthropogenic greenhouse gases. A multifunctional information system is described in the context of its application for solving a number of other ecological problems. It can be used as an instrumental basis for estimating ecological efficiency of measures aimed at reducing emissions and increasing greenhouse gas uptake. The effect should be considered in totality for all greenhouse gases and most hazardous pollutants. Monitoring of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and sinks includes observations (using modeling) of integral indicators of ecosystems and can be used as part of ecological monitoring (for example, dynamics of soil carbon balance of agroecosystems and forest cenoses). The connection of the monitoring of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and sinks with the satellite monitoring enlarges the possible applications of this information system.     

Objective time-scale-dependent homogenization of early instrumental temperature series

Summary An objective method for homogenization of early (pre ∼ 1850) instrumental near surface air temperature records is developed. The method is grounded on the same variational principle as used in the objective analysis of meteorological fields; i.e. the method consists of a statistically optimal spatial-coherence-based adjustment of nearby station temperature records. The adjustments are made for several different ranges of time scales, where the wavelet transform is used for the decomposition. The method takes into account that early instrumental temperature records are supposed to contain observational disturbances which are more or less smooth functions of time as a result of summations of numerous sources of biases. The method differs from traditional homogenization techniques in that corrections are not only made for a discrete number of abrupt or linear changes, but for continuously changing errors. The power of the method is illustrated with an example of homogenization of three very long temperature records from Sweden. Received August 31, 2000 Revised October 22, 2001     

Simulation by CMIP5 models of the atlantic multidecadal oscillation and its climate impacts

This study focuses on the climatic impacts of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) as a mode of internal variability. Given the difficulties involved in excluding the effects of external forcing from internal variation, i.e., owing to the short record length of instrumental observations and historical simulations, we assess and compare the AMO and its related climatic impacts both in observations and in the “Pre-industrial” experiments of models participating in CMIP5. First, we evaluate the skill of the 25 CMIP5 models’ “Historical” simulations in simulating the observational AMO, and find there is generally a considerable range of skill among them in this regard. Six of the models with higher skill relative to the other models are selected to investigate the AMO-related climate impacts, and it is found that their “Pre-industrial” simulations capture the essential features of the AMO. A positive AMO favors warmer surface temperature around the North Atlantic, and the Atlantic ITCZ shifts northward leading to more rainfall in the Sahel and less rainfall in Brazil. Furthermore, the results confirm the existence of a teleconnection between the AMO and East Asian surface temperature, as well as the late withdrawal of the Indian summer monsoon, during positive AMO phases. These connections could be mainly caused by internal climate variability. Opposite patterns are true for the negative phase of the AMO.